ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bound — certain
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. spell — letters
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. season — in sport
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. chair — a leader
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — goods
  15. bound — obliged
  16. snap — to click
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. spell — magic
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. season — of the year
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. bound — tied together
  24. spell — a short time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com